Questions About Forming A Union

No. People join unions to get more job security. We believe every worker in Alberta has the right to join a union. The law is on your side. Without a union, you are only covered by the Employment Standards Act – the bare minimum.

When you begin the process of forming a union you become protected by the much stronger Alberta Labour Code – the law that protects union members in Alberta.You cannot be fired for joining a union. Under the Labour Code you can only be fired for just cause.

The Alberta Labour Board is aware that some bad employers would try to fire union supporters if they could get away with it. Because of this, during a union organizing drive, there is scrutiny placed on your employer. The employer is required to prove to the labour board the reason why someone is let go.

Without a contract, your employer can change policies and conditions of work whenever they feel like it. A negotiated union contract protects the terms and conditions of your employment. Your rights under a union contract cannot be altered at your employer’s whim. It is enforceable by representatives who work on your behalf with grievance and arbitration procedure. It’s a contract! And it has teeth!

Union dues are a lot like insurance. In fact, many people view union dues as “job insurance,” though that doesn’t tell half the story. Union dues are used not only to protect jobs but to fund negotiations for better wages and working conditions, to pay for professional lawyers when needed, to organize more workers and thus make the union stronger, to train stewards and health and safety committee activists, and many other purposes.

Another advantage is that UFCW Local 401 is a non-profit organization and your union dues are completely tax deductable.

Because unions get their funds only from their members, there are no divided loyalties. Unions stand up for their members – the people who pay all the bills. Yes, unions can cooperate with governments and employers, but where their members’ interests are at stake, unions side with their members. In no union is this more true than in UFCW Local 401. For example, in order to protect its members’ legal rights, UFCW Canada has gone to the Supreme Court of Canada several times – and won!

This is a threat we hear from many employers and they give you no credit. You and your co-workers aren’t stupid people. You wouldn’t drive your employer out of business by making demands that cannot be met.

You are joining the union only to improve what you have and set in place a contract that gives you a voice in your working lives.

Common sense says that no union is going to negotiate union contract that will cost its members their jobs. Employers often find that because of the union contract which sets them apart from other non-union companies, that they are more attractive to workers seeking employment and have less turn over.